[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1500-H1501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SMALL PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2016

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Palazzo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALAZZO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce bipartisan 
legislation that addresses the administrative burdens facing small and 
rural housing authorities across this country.
  The Small Public Housing Agency Opportunity Act of 2016, H.R. 4816, 
being introduced by myself, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), 
and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Ashford), is the House companion 
to Senators Tester and Fischer's S. 2292. If enacted, this bill would 
simplify inspection and compliance requirements and eliminate excessive 
paperwork for public housing authorities that support fewer than 550 
households.
  Small PHAs represent 80 percent of all agencies but administer only 
20 percent of the units and receive only 10 percent of the public 
housing and Housing Choice Voucher funds. Under current law, these 
small public housing agencies are required to follow the same reporting 
and inspection rules as large, urban housing authorities, even though 
they have far fewer resources.
  Speaking from experience with my work as a CFO and deputy executive 
director of a small housing authority prior to serving in Congress, 
there is a big difference between housing needs in small town 
Mississippi, Georgia, or Nebraska, and those in cities like New York 
City. This legislation removes that one-size-fits-all approach and 
gives small housing authorities the flexibility to operate more 
effectively and efficiently.
  Simply put, small housing authorities are being crushed by the 
regulatory burdens of the Federal Government. It doesn't take a CPA to 
see the cost significantly outweighs the benefits of HUD mandates and 
regulations.
  Specifically, this bill limits HUD's inspections of housing and 
voucher units to once every 3 years, unless the small PHA is classified 
as ``troubled'' by HUD. It eliminates certain paperwork, including the 
submission of plans or reports not required of owners and operators of 
Section 8 private properties, and it also eliminates unnecessary yearly 
environmental reviews for agencies that are not undergoing new 
construction.
  As we all know, recent Federal budgets have reduced support for 
public housing, and cuts have disproportionately impacted small and 
rural housing agencies. Deep prorations in the operating funds have 
forced housing authorities to reduce staff and cut services and 
maintenance.
  Any revenue source is crucial; that is why this bill also takes a 
balanced, commonsense look at the inspections, requirements, paperwork, 
and regulations that our directors are doing year round.
  Five decades ago, President Johnson announced a war on poverty, and 
it was believed during that time that one of the first bills to be 
introduced in the 89th Congress would be an updated version of the 
Housing and Community Development Act of 1964. President Johnson, in 
his State of the Union that year, proclaimed a desire for ``a decent 
home for every American family.''
  This goal is today, as it was in 1964, a very real one that must be 
addressed. That is why I applaud Speaker Ryan for creating the Task 
Force on Poverty, Opportunity, and Upward Mobility, to strengthen 
America's safety net to help those in need.
  I also commend Representative Luetkemeyer and the committee for the 
successful drafting and passage of the Housing Opportunity Through 
Modernization Act of 2016.
  We have a model out there for public housing, and we can debate the 
pluses and minuses in terms of government efficiency; but at the end of 
the day, we cannot forget what the main focus here is: affordable 
housing for America's lowest income families.
  This bill's exemptions and reforms will not have an adverse impact on 
the quality of living for these families. On the contrary, by removing 
just a fraction of the burden placed on the backs of our housing 
directors, we benefit the lives of the residents. With some directors 
and employees allotting over 30

[[Page H1501]]

hours a week to just one report or program or assessment, we take that 
time away from the residents.
  This bill does not aim to reform the entire model or oppress one 
party involved but, rather, aims to ensure that the time and thousands 
of dollars spent on assessments here and there are absolutely necessary 
and that it ultimately benefits the residents in these units. So this 
bill really does what Congress oftentimes fails to do, which is to 
provide some much-needed regulatory relief. It simplifies, rather than 
complicates, the process.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in this bipartisan effort to ensure 
that low-income families have a decent home, regardless of their 
location. This begins by giving agencies the resources and the 
flexibility they need to better serve their communities.

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